


Blood And No Dragons

by andrasteshaircurlers



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Dragon Age AU, F/M, Gen, Other, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:35:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrasteshaircurlers/pseuds/andrasteshaircurlers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(A Dragon Age Vampire/Modern AU)</p><p>With a focus on Alistair/Cousland, this story explores the city of Thedas, rich with supernatural creatures and normal human intrigue as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trouble With Hospitals

_Morrigan was going to kill him, Again._

It had not been her the first time of course. Oh no. The one who had turned Alistair into a vampire was Wynne. “Young man I don’t suppose you could help an old woman with her groceries. It’s right here through this ally…” It sounded foolish to have fallen for it in retrospect but honestly who expected a kindly old grandmother to actually be a vampire who wanted to feed on you. She had not even meant to turn him. No Her usual tactic was to ram a good-looking young male’s head against the wall, -apparently he counted as good looking or being a vampire had not helped her eyesight- and then feed while they were unconscious. It was luck then wasn’t it that he was so thickheaded that he woke up halfway through her feeding.

He was the newest vampire of their little group. But also the one with one of the best special abilities, Alistair could turn himself invisible and not just to mirrors. It was almost fitting in a sad way.

But it did make one thing easier. Blood. Each member of his new family had their ways. Zevran and Morrigan killed people, Sten he had frankly no clue. Oghren seemed to be able to exist on alcohol instead of blood, And Leliana…. Leliana somehow got her supply delivered to their doorstep. In the type she wanted no less.

Alistair robbed hospitals. He kept that to himself too because he just knew they would tease him for wimping out on the whole neck biting thing.

He really should have expected this problem.

As he entered the hospital everyone in the waiting room was gathered around the television. It was the kind of scene you saw when there had been some sort of horrible disaster and he felt himself drawn to the screen. “Cousland.” The newswoman was talking “gang violence” “Everyone confirmed dead.” Alistair turned away. Just go get the blood. “No wait - hold on - we have reports of a single survivor… possibly a survivor.” He was gone. He needed blood and hearing more would only make him more invested. He could not be invested with human things. Not anymore.

As he emerged from feeding himself later, however,  he froze, Completely invisible as he was people down the hallway would see the door at least. He needn’t have worried about that anyway. They were otherwise occupied on a young woman laying on a hospital-roller-bed-thing. Red hair stood in stark contrast to the pale white skin; there was a tube down her throat and four bullet holes in her chest. Military school training kicked in. The wounds were survivable by themselves but the bloodloss… her heart has having trouble due to shock and it was amazing she survived this long. It occurred to Alistair that it was a shame that someone who must have fought so hard to live had to fall to shock

 Oh no, he thought. 

_Morrigan was going to kill him. Again._

Whatever he should be doing -  turning a random woman into a vampire during his first year as a deathly undead was _not_ part of it. Did he even know how to turn people? It couldn’t be too hard right? He stood there frozen with his hand wrapped around a blood pack for who knew how long before he noticed the thing was dripping.  Great, the pack might not be visible clutched in his hand but the drops certainly were. He knelt down to try to lick up the drops hearing Wynne’s voice in his ear. “Alistair do you even know what touched that floor?”

No, no he didn’t -  he was just trying to stop himself from making a complete stranger into a vampire because he did not want to see them go. Anything for distraction. Even floor licking. Besides it was not like he could get sick. He should not turn her. He should not turn anyone. But he could help her. Alistair could help her. How could he hold himself back when he was her only chance?

This was why hospitals were a bad idea. He thought to himself. As he stood up. You knew you could not drink someone’s blood directly. Did you ever stop to wonder what that conscience would make you do when you knew that someone was dying? No of course you didn’t. Of course he hadn’t.

Alistair spent the night invisible, pacing the halls and chastising himself. He had the scent of the redhead in his nostrils It was light, crisp, and something else, something almost quicksilver. Appetizing sure, but not too appetizing. He could do this. He would do this.

There was a short window of time after death to change someone depending on their injuries. That he knew. That they had told him. So he waited. Trying to reassure himself that he was not being crazy all the while. Then he just followed his nose. Right into trouble.

He probably should have wondered why he was entering into a hospital room and not the morgue. But it didn’t consider that, his nose.

“You’re alive.” Alistair stood there gawping at her like an idiot.

The redhead looked up at him and he could see the tear tracks on her face. She was hooked up to an IV, and the tube was no longer down her throat. A hospital gown covered that bandages that must adorn her chest.

“Ha,” he laughed in astonishment “Ha ha. I thought you were dead for sure,” He smiled at her. Also like an idiot. He was doing a lot of that.

If she remembered her call button, the woman ignored it completely. Instead, the weak looking injured woman went straight for the vase of flowers sitting beside her bed and threw them head long at Alistair, with impressively good aim too. He dodged of course -Vampire reflexes-  only to have a book thrown at him as well.

“What kind of thing is that to just say to someone!?” She screeched. “Who are you? What do you want!? You won’t get me!”

“I’m not trying to get you!” Alistair looked around for something to defend himself from the onslaught. It was sort of true he thought to himself, he had been trying to help her. He grabbed a chair using it like a shield. “I’m sorry! Look! You are going to hurt yourself! More!”

This had not been what he intended! A screaming female with a very good aim had not been on his list of intentions.

“Who. Are. You.” She repeated the words one hand gripping the IV strand. She looked like she was ready to use it as a weapon. That would hurt her, right? He took a step back holding up his hands palms out. “I’m Alistair. My name is Alistair. I thought you were dead.”

“Were you one of my rescuers?” She asked her head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

“Yeah, that’s right!” He tried to take the easy out.

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.” The woman’s muscles tensed. She was about to try to swing the IV stand at him. He tried a different approach. "Attacking an unarmed man is a crime you know.”

“So is shooting people!” She slammed the wheeled end of the IV machine into his face. Moving her body so the machine did not rip from her.

“I know the truth. And now you want to kill me don’t you. Well you can go tell Howe to shove a stick up his ass. Oh wait he has one there already. I… I… I’m bleeding.”

For a split second they both looked at her chest. Blood was coming from a wound beneath the gown.

“You moved too much!” Alistair exclaimed He took a step forward only to have her throw a netbook at him.

When his eyes met hers what he saw was not anger. It was grief, The redhead had the eyes of a broken woman and layered over that was fear. “Please I want to help” he took another step forward.

“You killed them. He killed them. He was their friend…” Frothy blood came from her mouth as she spoke. Her breathing was sharp and labored. She looked at the call button then back up at him. “Can’t… You’ll just kill them too.”

“You win.” She gargled. Then her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell back onto the pillows. Alistair rushed forward and pressed the call button himself. What had happened to this woman? What had he stumbled into? Better to hide. Best to go away and leave human affairs to humans like they said he should.

But he couldn’t, not until he knew she would live. And so Alistair stayed nearby. Invisible as the doctors came. He followed them as they rushed her away. It was not until he heard that she would make a recovery that Alistair left her and the hospital behind. Perhaps it would be better to try to find a blood bank next time? 

_It never occurred to Alistair that the redhead would follow._


	2. 37 Alistairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alistair’s actions at the hospital have unforeseen consequences.

When Alistair came through the plain white door to the house, his new family shared Leliana was waiting for him with her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall of the foyer. “Someone was out all night I see, hmmmm? Did something happen? Did you run into trouble at the hospital?”

She knew…? Of course she knew. Leliana knew everything. That was her ability right? She had all of the bats out spying for her.

“If you tell Morrigan…”

“Tell me what?” A cat rounded the corner before turning into a shapely, scantily-clad dark haired woman. “Is there something I should know?”

“Only that Alistair had difficulty taking down his prey,” Leliana mercifully covered for him. “I think he is a bit embarrassed.”

“Now that is unsurprising,” Morrigan commented dryly.

He should not get into it, he really should not get into it…

“Well, we can’t all be raised by ancient vampire queeny matrons of death!” Alistair snapped.

Morrigan’s nostrils flared, which was rather impressive considering she was not actually breathing. “We do NOT talk about my mother!”

“Why not! Are you scared? I think you are scared of her! That’s right!”

“I am not scared of my mother I merely wish her not to be spoken of in my presence even by an insignificant new biter such as yourself.” Morrigan turned, and flounced off.

“I think you might have hurt her feelings.” Zevran had appeared out of nowhere and draped an arm around Alistair’s shoulders.

Alistair carefully removed himself from the spanish vampire’s grasp. “Me? Hurt her feelings? That woman is like ice! Spiky ice! That wants to try to stab you!”

“Well, seeing as you are a vampire, you do not have much to worry about, no? Unless she switches to wooden stakes.” Zevran laughed at his own joke.

Alistair sighed and looked at Leliana, “Thanks”

The ginger woman nodded. “You are new, Alistair. Things are bound to be hard. At first.”

Her coach was beside himself. "The doctors say you will make a full recovery if you behave!” He sat at the edge of her bed. “You still have a shot for the Olympics.”

But the truth was that Torania did not care about the Olympics. Not anymore, anyway. The woman who had cared about that, about her score in the gymnastics meetups, in training, in performing perfectly every move, seemed to be someone else from a lifetime ago.  In a way it was, considering she had been informed her heart had stopped while they treated her and they had had to cut her open to restart it. To the man sitting on her bed, she said ,“I’m sorry.” And she was. They had been working together for years. She had been his star athlete. But none of that mattered anymore.

Only one thing mattered. Making the man who was responsible for doing this to her parents…. And her she supposed… Pay. And in order to do that, she could not be spending most of her time in the gym. “You’re still distraught you need time to heal!” her coach pleaded. “You need time to think. Just take some time to consider this Torania, alright?” He left before she could tell him that what she needed was to find someone who believed her and a way to take down Howe. But then perhaps telling everyone that was not the best idea. He would see it coming. And if there was one thing Torania knew it was that if he was so willing to kill her parents killing her would be a high priority. She reached carefully to the bedside table and picked up her laptop. This she had not thrown at the stranger. Mostly because it had not been delivered to the hospital room until today. She opened it up and did a search. “Alistair” If he lived in the city of Thedas she would find him. He had had a prime chance to kill her well, more like let her die, but he hadn’t Someone had pressed the call button and it had not been her. so it had to have been him. He had gotten into her room without alerting any hospital staff. She had thought that must mean he was an assassin of sorts come to kill her. But since he hadn’t it meant he was powerful. Powerful enough to help her get her revenge perhaps. and revenge was what she needed. Revenge was all that mattered. now. Focusing on it meant distraction from the anguish inside her. and she needed to keep herself from thinking about that. There were a lot of Alistair’s living in Thedas. The red haired woman covered with a thin hospital sheet scowled. Alright then. she would just have to narrow things down as best she could and when she got better visit them one by one.

Months went by incredibly slowly when you were a vampire and knew you had forever. Alistair was pretty sure he was fired from his job. That tended to happen when you didn’t turn up for work because you were in the middle of turning into a blood sucking monster from out of horror movies. only the horror movies had not even gotten it right. Alright sure they seemed to sleep in coffins. But Leliana’s was all silky… and pink. She had painted her coffin pink. “How do we earn money?” He had asked one day. "I could… you know… Get a job?”

It should get a job. It would stop it from moping pathetically because it no longer reads the comics and gets all its information from the sister.

It was very odd. Alistair reflected. That they somehow had a gargoyle though they did not even live somewhere made of stone.

He scowled at Shayle. “Just because you can fly around the city all you want at night…”

“In about 70 years everyone you knew will be dead or sniveling away in nursing homes,” Sten informed him gruffly. “Then you will be able to stop complaining and perhaps we shall get some peace.”

“Great, thanks,” Alistair drawled. “That makes me feel so good, you know?”

“You’re welcome.”

Alistair stood up and walked to the door.  "I’m going to take a walk. Don’t worry, If I see anyone I’ll just tell them that the nice nursing homes are that way… Or that I’ve secretly been tanning all my life and have red eyed because I needed to practice for halloween… Or something…“ Alistair did not feel like putting in contacts. Before anyone could tell him no or that he was being stupid, which he was or even to take the back exit so he would not be seen leaving the house, (he didn’t have blood on him, what did it matter?) he had walked out onto the sidewalk right in front of their house and stumbled to a halt before the redhead from the hospital He was pretty sure his mouth fell open. How had she even…. Oh no.

"So I take it this is the right house?” The woman asked pertly.

“Right house?” He stammered. Oh no.

“Mmmm, there are far too many Alistair’s in this city. You are numblr 37, actually. It’s not even that common of a name!”

So she had been looking for him? She had gone to 37 houses just to find him? That must have been… really awkward … He didn’t know weather to be flattered or creeped out and settled for panicked.

“The eyes… they are uh… I health condition… Look… you…. can’t be here.”

“Technically unless I take another step forward, I’m still on public property so I really think I can.” She raised her eyebrows.

Right. Challenging this woman might not be the best idea. “I mean that it’s dangerous… for you…”

“More dangerous than getting shot and having to have my chest opened up and my heart restarted right?”

He opened and closed his mouth. What should he even say. “I’m a vampire and I have vampire roommates in the house behind me?”

“I know what you are,” She told him hands moving to her hips

Oh no oh no …

“You uh, you do?” He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You are some sort of spy or assassin or crime lord or something. Right, I really don’t care. I’m here because I need your help.”


	3. Un-Date at the Deli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torania asks for Alistair's help when he takes her for food on what is NOT a date

It took a moment for her words to sink in. Then a moment to keep himself from laughing. She thought he was a...? Though now that he thought about it being a vampire really meant he was not that far off... in terms of capabilities anyways... sort of?... right...?

Alistair peered at the red-haired woman. Tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as he crossed his arms. It was not a hostile posture more a curious one "I don't suppose you have a name?" He prompted.

"Torania. Torania Cousland" The woman's arm shot out and she held it in the air firmly, _demandingly_. Her eyes were locked on his, reading him. As if she could see into his very soul. He felt a shiver up his spine. Was she trying to read him? Was she just that intense? Slowly he reached out a hand and took hers. How would she react to the cold of his skin. Would she jump back? Would she show concern? He was curious now about this strange woman and her reactions.

Torania shook his hand firmly as if she didn't notice the cold in the slightest. "Good now that that's over with it's time to talk"

He couldn’t help it Alistair flashed her a slight grin "You know I had the strangest impression we already were. Might have just been me of course"

The woman gave him the oddest look. An automatic clench and preparation for anger as she opened her mouth then a look of slight bewilderment for a split second in her confusion over the emotion coming to her not being the one she had been expecting. Torania's veil dropped and he saw in her eyes what he seen in the hospital before. Only now without the crisis at hand he could feel the effect of it so much more clearly. Torania had a dead woman's eyes. The eyes of someone broken and swimming in darkness. But as he watched something changed. He didn't know what it was but a spark entered the woman's eyes. Just the barest hint of a spark. The corner of Torania's mouth tilted up ever so slightly. And then suddenly the intensity from before was back.

"Oh I really think it must have been just you.” She told him. “Lord only knows I've been moving my mouth silently up until now."

"Really? completely silently?" He raised a brow at her. "I might have to get my hearing checked, you know."

She gave him a hint of a grin. “We could test it while you listen to why I need your help."

He pretended to consider. The warning not to get involved in human affairs was a voice in his head. but not a very loud voice. Surely it could not hurt to just listen?

"Alright I get the hint" He held up his hands in mock defense "Why do you need my help?"

She was thinner than she had been at the hospital. He suddenly noticed, like she hadn't been eating. The trench coat she wore was an effort to hide it perhaps but it was apparent all the same. The idea popped into his head at the same time as a loud resounding _NO_. _No don't do it!_ his mind was screaming. But his traitor mouth was already moving. "Look why we don’t talk about it at this nice deli down the block." he gestured with his hand down the street. "You look like you could use the... well its private..." Oh... oh that had not come out rite at all. "I mean because if you think I am a spy or crime lord... because I am! and want my help and I.... lets just go..."

Torania narrowed her eyes at him. Trying to read him again. Alistair bit his lip and turned to walk toward the deli. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was asking her out. He was not asking her out. He was being freindly. Alistair could hear the firm footfalls of the red-haired woman following him. He held open the door for her as they reached the small blue pained store. For a moment he thought she was going to refuse. Then she walked inside black eyes sweeping sideways as she did so, so she never took her gaze of him. The guarded expression remained firmly in place. Which was wise he reminded himself. He really ought be carful as well. But once again as she walked past he noticed how thin she was. Surly he could be guarded and make sure she had something to eat at least? There was no harm in that.

The dark skinned man at the counter did a double take as he saw them. "Alistair! I have not seen you for at least two months! Ah now I think I see why is this a lady fr..." He trailed off at the look that Torania gave him. The redhead then marched to a booth as the back end of the deli and sat down. Alistair bought food for the both of them. Vampires didn't have to eat of course. And it tended to make them need blood sooner. but the shopkeep knew him almost as well as a son. Alistair not eating would set off alarm bells

"Why did you do that!?" The redhead demanded, when  he set down a plate in front of her. He gave her his most innocent puppy dog look. "Well generally when you come to a deli you eat right? I just thought it would be polite to order something. You know... For polite reasons." _And you look way too thin bun I'm not sure if you would hit me if I said so._ He thought to himself. _Not that it would hurt but it might bruise my ego._

 _What ego?_ came the internal voice. He told that to promptly shut up and focused on the woman again.  She gave him one of her long looks before picking up a french fry, dipping it in ketchup, and sticking it in her mouth. She eat more now he thought. No one can resist Duncan's cooking. Who would have thought a retired military school teacher could be so skilled. "Now we talk." She told him squarely. It was not a question. It was a command. Ohhh someone was bossy. "Right" he agreed taking a bite himself so as not to seem suspicious

"You are going to tell me why you tracked down someone you thought was a member of a mob or a super spy or _something_ " He watched her face as he spoke. Why had she been so eager to find him. It was not exactly the most reasonable course of action right?

"I intend to take down an entire section of the mob, track their connection to a certain political leader and assassinate him as well. Or at least discredit him. I would prefer assassination".

Alistair blinked at her. "You intend to what...?"

"I will do it with or without your help.” She informed him “I just think it would be easier with you helping me."

He kept his voice deliberately calm and dry. "Right any particular reason you want me to go on a mad murder spree with you _just checking_." Did this have to do with what she said at the hospital before?

The redhead's eyes filled with an intensity as she put down the sandwich she was now inspecting. "They killed them. He killed them. No one believes me of course but Howe had the mob kill my parents and try to kill me. I heard enough talk of ‘wipe out the Couslands’ as I was bleeding out to know what I am talking about. And I know. I know that they won't stop" Her eyes seemed to be pouring into his as she spoke. "There is one Cousland left to kill. Me. I have to avenge my parents and I don't intend to give them the satisfaction of killing me. But I am under no illusion that I can do this alone. I will if I have too. But I came to you because you had a prime chance to let me die and you didn't. As a bonus you seem to have unique abilities. Will you help me Alistair? Can you help me?”


End file.
